It’s been almost ten years since Bridgend Council agreed in principle to the development of a sports village at Island Farm and almost seven years since a planning application for the first element – a tennis centre – was submitted.
The world has, of course, changed significantly and it seems like the sports village was at the risk of becoming a Brackla Station-style forever-promised-but-never-delivered project.
Then, just before Christmas, HD Ltd and Savills revived the tennis centre plans and submitted a downsized, more modest, proposal for Island Farm.
The National Tennis Centre in Cardiff closed in 2013 and the Island Farm project would seemingly be a replacement.
The proposals include: an indoor tennis centre with 6 courts, changing facilities, a lounge, gym, fitness studio, physio rooms and offices for Tennis Wales. Outside, 72 parking spaces (including a drop-off area, cycle/motorcycle parking and disabled and family bays) would be provided along with four grass courts.
One of the most controversial aspects is likely to be road access. The original 2014 proposals would’ve seen a new signalised junction built on the A48 as part of a spine route to serve Island Farm as a whole.
The 2020-21 plans propose direct access off Ewenny Road, past Penybont Court care home. It’s unclear if this would be temporary until Island Farm is developed further, though the planning statement (pdf) says talks have taken place with the care home about providing a new staff car park to address road safety caused by on-street parking.
Additionally, the ecological assessment calls for a lighting strategy due to the presence of bats.
The former prisoner-of-war camp has been subject to several failed development proposals in the past.
The 2014 plans were a bit bolder, including a larger indoor centre, more outdoor courts, squash courts and a larger car park. The original 2011 masterplan also included a 12-15,000-seater stadium, a smaller-capacity stadium for Bridgend Ravens, a boxing gym and an extension to Bridgend Science Park.
In the early-2000s, Island Farm was put forward for a WRU Rugby Academy and residential development. Bridgend Council granted permission in 2003 and began the process of selling the land, but this was overturned when a Rainbow Coalition won power in 2004’s local elections.
In the most recent draft proposals for the 2021-33 Local Development Plan, Island Farm has been put forward once again for a housing-led development. At present, this could include up to 1,000 homes, a new primary school and a replacement for Heronsbridge special school.
